Improvement in fare-boxes



A. E. HVEY.

'Fare-Boni;

' Patented .lune 22, 1875.

. FIG3 i l' ,E f l WITNESSES THE GRAPHIC C0.PHOTU -LITFLSS 8:41 PARKPLACEJLY.

UNITED STATEs ASA E. HOVEY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.

IN FARE-BOXES.

164,685, dated June 2'2, `1875; application filed March 13, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Asn E. HOVEY, of the city andl county of SanFrancisco, State of California, have invented an Improved Fare- Box forStreet-Railroad Cars, of which the following is a specilication: 4

The object of my invention is to provide a means of collecting the faresof passen gers and insure the proper returns being made.

My invention consists of a box having a peculiar interior arrangemen twhich is opened to vreceive fares by the combined action of passengerand fare-receiver, and closed automatically, so that after a fare isdeposited its abstraction cannot be effected except the box be brokeninto and injured.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure lis a view of the box as presentedto the driver of the car. Fig. 2 is a side view ofthe box with theinterior arrangementof parts indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a viewsuch as presents itself to the passenger in the car. Fig. 4 is a detailview of the device for ringing the callbell. Fig 5 is a view which showsin detail the device which effects the opening and closing of the box.Fig. 6 is a detail drawing of a shelf used for retaining the fares insight for the purpose of tallying or counting them before iinallydepositing them in the locked drawer beneath it. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 showdetached detail drawings of parts, as indicated by the reference-lettersmarked upon them.

In the accompanying drawing, similar letters of reference in thedifferent iigures refer to similar parts. A is a box of wood or metal,about nine inches square and thirty inches in height. It has aglass-covered opening at B andC, so that the collector of fares may haveaninterior view. The opening at B permits the collector of fares to lookdown upon the tray D, which is slid back and forth by the fare-collectorat such times as he is called upon to receivea fare. The opening at C isprovided to permit him periodically to look at and keep count ofthefares deposited during the trip y on the shelf E, so that he may at alltimes ascertain 1f any passengers have neglected to deposit their fare.d is the handle ofthe sliding tray D, which, passing through the side ofthe box, must be pulled forward to throw back the apron F before thepassenger can deposit his fare. In Fig. 3, G is the counter, which isheld down by the passenger until the farecollector has thrown back theapron F, which act uncovers the tray D, upon which the fare is droppedby the passenger to be inspected by the collector. H is an opening inthe box, 4with a shelf or tray, I. This Vpart is not considered anecessityto the proper working of the box. rlhe opening and tray aremerely provided to receive fares which are prematurely dropped from thehands of the passenger before the fare-collector has thrown back theapron F. Fares so prematurely dropped can be taken from the tray I anddeposited properly over the apron onto the tray D. J, Figs. 2 and 5, isa swinging cover, which closes the passage leading from the counter Grto the shelf E when the passage is otherwise opened by swinging back theapron F. Both apron .F and coverJ swing into position simultaneously bymeans of the device afterward to be explained. ot the cover J is toprevent access to deposited fares, which could be otherwise obtained byfirst swinging back the apron F, holding it back by the hand, slidingback the tray D, and then inserting an instrument capable ot drawing upthe fares, as a long pair of nippers, a stick or wire with some adhesivesubstance on the end. K is thecall-bell, which is sounded when thecounter Gr is pressed down. L is the locked drawer, which receives thefares finally, and is only opened by the `person in charge of this dutyat the termination of each trip or number of trips.

I will now describe in detail `how I operate the call-bell: The deviceis shown in Fig. 4, and is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. K is agong or bell. It' is the hammer, which is pivoted at l. M is the trip,swinging loosely on a pivot at about the middle of the arm of the frameN, to which the counter Gr is attached. 'Ihe fulcrum of this frame N ison both sides of the box at a. The bell, the pivot of the hammer, andpivot of the frame are all attached to one side of the box A. Now, whenthe counter Gr is pressed down the trip M engages with the hammer at thenotched part at m. The hammer swings up till the trip slides tout of thenotch, when the hammer falls on The object the bell, giving the call tothe faiecollector. There is a stout spring, O, applied upon the pivot a,something like a clock-spring, so that when the counter is relieved frompressure it will fly upward, ready for another operation.

I will next describe the device for throwing the apron F: P is a levervdepended fronithe arin of the frame N on the sideopposite to that towhich the call-bell is attached. Itis a llat bar with a slotted hole atits lower end, and swings loosely from a pivot at R. At the properposition, near thc lower end, a hook, S, is formed, in which hook thepin q of the latch Q engages when the apron is about to be thrown. Theapron F swings on its pivot at f, and a spring, O, is wound around thispivot, which extends through the side of the box for the purpose. Thearm T extends downward for a proper distance to terminate in a pin, t,which inserts itself in the slotted hole of the lever P. N ow, when thecounter G is pressed down the lever P is lowered to a point which placesthe hook S exactly in line with the 'pin of the latch Q. The apron sofar is' not disturbed, for tl1e pin t has plenty of room to play in theslotted hole. N ow, when the counter is pressed down, as beforedescribed, the bell rings. The fare-collector must now slide back thetray D, whenthe latch Q will, at the end of its stroke, engage with thehook S. It will now be seen that, when the tray is again drawn forward,the lever P mustbc drawn forward also; and as the pin t on the arm ofthe apron passes through the lever, it must also pass forward, and, ofcourse, as the arm of the apron is drawn forward, the apron itself'swings back on its pivot.

There is shown another latch or prop, U, Fig. 5, which is an importantpiece. Its purpose is to prevent the apron F from being pulled back byinserting the hand through the opening at the counter G, for, if itcould be that the apron could be pulled back in this way, it would be aneasy matter to abstract any fares that might be left on the tray D-amatter which it is important to avoid.` This latch U is pivoted at u,and, when not pushed back by the piu q of the latch Q, rests in such aposition as to act as a prop under the pin t of the arm T, so that, aslong as it is in this position, the apron is held immovable. Now, whenthe tray D is moved back, the last six teenth of an inch of its travelbrings the pin q against the latch U, and pushes it from under the pint; and, as there can be no fares on the tray D at his time, for thestrip of rubberV Will have swept them off as it scrapes over the tray inits passage back and forth, the apron may be drawn back.

The device I employ for operating the swinging cover J is shown indotted lines in Fig. 2, and again is outlined in Fig. 5. It consists ina peculiarly-shaped arm, W, which is pivoted at the side of the box atw. It has a curved n face or bed for a pin on the end of an arm,extending down from the apron, to slide on;

not the arin T, as before described, but a similar one placed on theopposite Aside of the apron. In looking at Fig. 5 it will do for thepurpose of description to assume the arm T is the one referred to. Thearm W extends down to make contact with a pin, j, projecting from theextreme end of the cover J. At a slight distance in from this point thecover has its pivot. Now, when the fare-collector pulls forward the trayD and swings back the apron F he also causes the arm of the apron tosweep along the curved face of the arm IV; and, if the curve be properlyarranged and proportioned, the effect will be to cause a downwardpressure on the pin j, so that the cover J will be swung upward to closethe opening above the deposited fares on the shelf E. In Fig. 5, dottedlines show the cover J after it has closed the opening. Full lines showthev saine cover dropped down.

The revolving shelf E is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2,.and in detailin Fig. 6. It is a simple affair, designed to act as a temporary shelfto retain fares upon-say, such as are deposited before the collector hascounted the passengers inthe car. The fares on this shelf are always insight, and may be counted through the glass-covered opening at G, asmentioned before. The shelf E has two faces, at nearly right angles toeach other, so that it may not be turned in a position which woulduncover the locked drawer below it. The

shelf or shelves are supported between two cheeks, e e', which have astout wire run through their centers, which wire passes out through oneside of the box, and is shaped to form a crank-handle. It is desirablethat this shelf should turn rather stiftly, or at some time, by a suddenjolt of the car, it would tip over and spill the fares upon it into thedrawer below. To avoid this I provide a wooden pin, X, recessed in theinside of one cheek, e, and passing completely through the other cheek,e', bears against the side of the box at x. I slip over the wooden pin arubber sleeve, Y. (A little piece of rubberI pipe, cut about one inchlong, will do.) Where this sleeve Y is placed the pin will be of lessdiameter than the remainder, so that there will be a shoulder formed forthe sleeve to bear against. The sleeve should be. longer than thedistance from the shoulder on the wooden pin tothe inside of the cheekc, so that it will have to be coinpressed slightly.

It will be seen that the sleeve Y will act as a spring to push theWooden pin so firmly against the side of the box that the shelf may onlybe moved by the crank-handle being turned with some little pressure.

From the foregoing the operation of the boX may, in a measure, beunderstood; but, by way of a summary, I will here describe the operationof depositing lares in the box: First, the passenger steps up to thebox, and, placing his hand upon the counter G, presses it down till hehears the bell ring. Perhaps he inadvertently drops his fare at thistime with minces e out wai tin g for any action ofthe fare-collectorgenerally the driver of the car-who may be momentarily engaged managinghis horses, throwing a switch in the track, or, being otherwise engaged,cannot immediately attend to receiving a fare. If so, he will find itagain just below his hand on the shelf I. He then picks it up again, andWaits, with the counter still kept pressed down, till the fare-collectorpushes back the tray D and has drawn it forward again, when the apronwill be thrown back, then the passenger' casts his fare down theinclined apron, and it falls on the tray D. The fare-collector examinesit through the glass-covered opening, and it may be he declines toaccept it, for it may be insufficient.

He then acquaints the passenger with the fact of his declining to accepthis deposit, and demands that the matter be corrected. This can easilybe accomplished by placing the hand down the opening, which is quitelarge enough to adinit a mans hand, and recovers his deposit. Making thecorrection demanded, he again deposits his fare. The fare-collector nowaccepts the fare, the passengers hand is lifted from the counter G, theapron drops forward, and the transaction :is ended. Now, the fare stillrests on the tray D, and may remain there till the next passenger goesthrough the same operation, when, as it is necessary to slide the apronback, it must pass under the rubber strip V, when any fare upon itssurface will be swept ofi'.

An advertisement, giving suitable instructions to the passengers, willbe placed in front of the box, and at night a lamp will illuminate thebox.

The apron F and sliding tray D should both have smooth polishedreiiectin g surfacesheavy plate looking-glass will be best, which can beframed in the wood, and is strong enough not to be broken by coinsdropped upon nit. The object of this is to insure the box being welllighted in the interior, to permit the examination of the fares.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isas follows:

l. rI he fare-box A, provided with a sliding tray, D, counter G, andapron F, operating together` in the manner described, for the purpose ofreceiving fares. Y

2. The swinging cover J, with its piu j, in combination with the arms Tand W, operating together, for the purpose ot' closing the passage todeposited fares when the apron is thrown back, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination of the hooked lever P, depended from the frame N ofthe counter Gr, latch Q, attached to the side of the sliding tray D, andarm T from side of apron, as a means oi' opening the box to receive afare, substantially as described.

ASA EBENEZER HOVEY.

Witnesses:

F. E. MONTEVERDE, e J. K. FIRTH.

